Embalmer&#39;s arm and leg rest



July 14, 1936- J. 1.. STARBUCQK EMBALMERS ARM AND LEG REST Filed Feb. 24, 1956 Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED ESTATES OFFIQE EMBALMERS ARM AND LEG REST James L. Starbuck, Los Angeles, Calif. Application February 24, 193G, Serial No. 65,456

2 Claims. (crisisil's The invention relates to devices used upon cooling boards and the like for properly holding thelimbs of a corpse during the process of embalming. The principal value of the device lies in its use to maintain, during and upon completion of the embalrning operation, the arms and hands in proper posture, at the same time permitting free drainage from the axillary region, the device being of such nature that it 10 may be applied without lifting the body.

Prior to my invention, various devices have been provided intended to hold the arms and hands in proper position but it has been very difficult to apply and remove such devices, in that 15 they require laborious lifting of the body. Moreover, such prior devices often permit change of position of the arms during or upon completion oi the einbalming operation and restrict free drainage due to inability to properly accommo- 20 date the device to bodies of varied weight. Such difiiculties, however, are effectively overcome by the present invention, the base of which is readily slidable between the cooling board or the like and the back of the corpse, without lifting the latter,

25 said base being provided with the arm rest and being so constructed as to solidly hold the latter in the required position.

The same device, by a simple adjustment, may be used to support a leg of the corpse in case 30 gravity drainage from the lower limb is desired, and the nature of the invention is such that the actual rest which engages the arm or leg, projects outwardly beyond the base when supporting an arm but overlies said base for stabil- 35 ity, when supporting a leg.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying draw- 40 ing.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the device applied, to support an arm.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section showing the device when used as an arm rest.

45 Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the device adjusted for use as a leg support. Fig. 4 is a disassembled perspective view.

A construction has been illustrated which has proven to be highly advantageous, and while 50 this construction is preferred, variations may of course be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

The device includes a relatively long and narrow base bar 5 which may well be approximately 55 seven inches long, one inch wide, except at its outer end, and five sixteenths of an inch thick,

except at itsinner end. outer end 6 of the base bar 5 is widened topre'vent lateral'tilting and is provided with a rigid upstanding tube 1 which is preferably of rectangular cross section. 5 The inner end of the base bar 5 is upwardly thickened to provide a lug 8 to press into the back of the corpse when the base bar is inserted endwise between said corpse and the cooling board or the like upon which it lies, the engage- 10 ment of the flesh with the lug serving to solidly hold the base bar in proper position. The inner end of the bar 5 is provided with a bevel 9 extending from the lower side of said bar to the top of the lug 8, to facilitate endwise insertion of said bar between the body and the cooling board or the like. The lug 8 is provided with an abrupt inner end l0 extending from the upper side of the bar 5 to the upper end of the bevel 9, said inner end i9 so engaging the flesh as to resist outward sliding of the bar 5. The upper end H of the lug 8 is suitably rounded to prevent cutting the flesh and in fact no sharp corners exist anywhere on the device which might mar the body.

A shank I2 is slidable in and projectable upwardly from the tube 1, the upper end of said shank being provided with a crescent-shaped arm or leg rest l3. When the device is used to support an arm as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rest l3 projects outwardly beyond the outer end of the base bar 5. The shank I2, however, is reversible in the tube 1 so as to position the rest I3 directly over the base bar 5 when the device is to be used as a leg support, as seen in Fig. 3.

One edge of the shank I2 is provided with a plurality of notches l4 and the opposite edge is formed with at least one notch l5. A springpressed manually releasable dog [6 is pivotally mounted in the slot I! in one side of the tube 1, this dog being co-operable with the notches I 4 when the device is used to support an arm and being similarly co -operable with the notch l5 when the device is being used as a leg support. To properly support the arm, it is necessary that the rest l3 be at the proper elevation, to which elevation it is readily adjustable due to the dog l6 and notches M.

In practice, when using the device as an arm rest, the base bar 5 is forced endwise between the cooling board or the like and the corpse thereon, without the necessity of lifting the latter, the location of the device being substantially as shown in Fig. 1. With the device so placed, the lug 8 acts as an effective holder due to the flesh being pressed over and around the same,

resulting in a firm hold and avoiding slippage. One of the devices will, of course, be used for each arm and they serve to securely hold the arms during and upon completion of the embahning operation, insuring proper posture and at the same time permitting free drainage from the axillary region.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a simple and inexpensive, yet an eificient and desirable device has been provided for attaining the desired ends, and while the preferred construction has been illustrated, attention is again invited to the possibi1ity-of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. An embalmers arm support comprising a base insertible between a cooling board or the like and the back of a corpse lying thereon, the inner end of said base being upwardly thickened to provide it with a lug to press into the back of the corpse and hold the base in proper position, said inner end of said base being provided with a bevel extending from the top of said lug to the lower side of the base to facilitate insertion of the base between the corpse and the cooling board or the like, and arm-supporting means carried by the outer end of said base.

2. An embalmers arm support comprising a base insertible between a cooling board or the like and the back of a corpse lying thereon, the inner end of said base being upwardly thickened to provide it with a lug to press into the back of the corpse and hold the base in proper position, said inner end of said base being provided with a bevel extending from the top of said lug to the lower side of the base to facilitate insertion of the base between the corpse and the cooling board or the like, said lug being provided with an abrupt inner end extending from the upper side of the base to the upper end of said bevel to so engage the flesh of the corpse as to resist outward sliding of the base, and arm-supporting 20 means carried by the outer end of said base.

JAMES L. STARBUCK. 

